The Dhaka Times Desk Ahmed Katrada (83), his comrade-in-arms, has expressed his sorrow after seeing Nelson Mandela in hospital. He expressed this feeling in an interview given to news agency AP. He also described Mandela's physical condition and said there was no way to recognize Mandela by sight.
According to online media, Kathrada went to the hospital to see Mandela on July 1. He got only a few minutes for this. He commented that these few minutes are a sad memory. He said, 'Mandela could not speak. The appearance has also changed. There is no recognition. Just a wink showed that he recognized me.'
In the interview, Kathrada said, 'Mandela was indifferent to his body from the time he was in prison. Many used to exercise outside the prison. But Mandela was an exception.'
Mandela was admitted to Pretoria's Mediclinic Hospital on June 8 due to a lung infection. Yesterday, July 13, Mandela passed his 36th consecutive day in the hospital. On July 12, his wife Grassa Machel said that her concern about Mandela's condition had eased somewhat. He (Mandela) continues to respond consistently to treatment. On July 11, the government informed that Mandela's condition is better than before. But still critical. He was kept alive with life support.
Note that, apart from Mandela, seven people were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of treason on June 13, 1964 during the apartheid period of South Africa. Among them was Katrada. He was imprisoned with Mandela on Robben Island for a long time. Source: AP.
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